Low reproductive performance and high sow mortality in a pig breeding herd: a case study

Sow performance is a key component of the productivity of commercial pig farms. Reproductive failure in the sow is common in pig production. For every 100 sows served, 89 should farrow. In absence of specific diseases such as porcine parvovirus, pseudo-rabies, swine fever, leptospirosis and brucellosis, management failures are the most important causes of loss. A syndrome associated with reproductive inefficiency, and post-service vaginal discharge and high sow mortality in a commercial pig farm is described. Pregnancy failures exceeded 20% and sow mortality exceeded 12% for two consecutive years. The abnormal post-service vaginal discharge rate was 1.7% during the period of investigation.An investigation involving an analysis of farm records, a review of breeding management practices, clinical examinations, laboratory analysis and examination of urogenital organs was conducted.The main contributing factors found were a sub-optimal gilt breeding management, an inadequate culling policy in combination with a sub-optimal culling rate and the presence of cystitis in more than 1% of the urogenital organs examined. The high sow mortality rate was related to an aged breeding herd.A control programme was recommended based on management changes involving oestrus detection, movement of gilts post-service, hygiene in the service area, boar exposure post-service and urinary acidification. This programme failed to increase the farrowing rate due to incomplete implementation of the recommendations made. The farrowing rate increased to 86.5% subsequent to a farm manager change in January 2005, which resulted in complete implementation of the control programme.     

Swine dysentery in a sow herd

Summary

An acute outbreak of swine dysentery (Doyle) on a farrowing farm is described. Besides clinical signs of enteritis a general loss of condition was seen throughout the herd. This resulted in a decreased fertility and breeding performance among sows and an increase in piglet mortality. Several dehydrated sows aborted.

The outbreak was stopped by oral treatment with lincomycin/spectinomycin 1:1. In the course of the treatment all animals and buildings were washed and disinfected. The use of pharmacotherapeutics in treating swine dysentery is discussed with emphasis on the involuntary induction of carriers.     

Postpartum uterine disease and dairy herd reproductive performance: a review

This paper reviews the causes, impact, treatment, and prevention of retained placenta (RP), metritis, and endometritis in dairy cows. The occurrence of each of these diseases largely depends on immune function in the transition period. Retained placenta affects 5-10% of calvings and greatly increases the risk of metritis and endometritis. More field studies are needed to validate criteria for treatment of metritis, but cows with at least two of RP, fever, dullness, and fetid uterine discharge appear to merit treatment with systemic antibiotics. Clinical endometritis affects 15-20% of cows at 4-6 weeks postpartum; an additional 30-35% have subclinical endometritis between 4 and 9 weeks postpartum. Under specific conditions, treatment of cows with endometritis improved pregnancy rate. Systematic use of prostaglandin F(2alpha) at 5 and 7 weeks postpartum may improve pregnancy rate. The economic benefit of efforts to identify and treat endometritis is herd-specific.     

Multiresistant Brachyspira hyodysenteriae in a Dutch sow herd

This case study describes the isolation ofa multiresistant strain ofBrachyspira hyodysenteriae in April 2007 in a Dutch sow herd with recurrent diarrhoea. Examination of faecal samples taken from 7-month-old breeding gilts with diarrhoea revealed the presence of resistance against tiamulin, lincomycin, tylosin, doxycycline, and tylvalosin (the active substance in Aivlosin) in four of five samples. Tiamulin resistance has not been reported in The Netherlands before. The repeated use of tiamulin on the affected farm was assumed to be the main cause of the development of resistance to the drug. The farmer was advised to adopt a medication strategy and to implement management practices that would prevent an ongoing cycle of infection on the farm. It is important that the Dutch swine industry appreciates that tiamulin-resistant strains of B. hyodysenteriae may be found on other farms as well. The appropriate and prudent use of antibiotics is essential in order to prevent the development of resistance against the last option left to cure B. hyodysenteriae infections: valnemulin.     

Progression and control of leptospirosis in a sow herd

After a short review about etiology, epidemiology, clinical symptoms, diagnosis and therapy of leptospirosis the course and therapy of an acute leptospirosis outbreak in a breeding herd with nearly 240 sows is described. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) served for diagnosis and was most reliable for estimation the actually stage of infection when used twice with an interval of several weeks. As causative agent serovar L. pomona was identified, whereby cross-reactions were seen to serovars L. grippotyphosa, L. bratislava and L. copenhageni. Therapy of all animals with Terramycin/LA (Pfizer) at three times with intervals of five days and doses of 20 mg oxytetracycline/kg b.w. distinctly reduced the incidence of abortion and stillborn or mummified pigs. Local irritations, relative to the intramuscular administration of oxytetracycline, mostly were low-graded and temporary. For the next months acute infections could not be registered. Probably due to infections from leptospires-reservoirs, maintained by numerous existing mice and puddles on the pasture-ground, leptospirosis occurred again six months later. Only another antibiotic therapy of the whole herd and simultaneous eradication of rodents as well as closing the pasture led to a long-termed control of leptospirosis in this herd.     

猪细小病毒分子诊断技术与基因工程疫苗研究进展

猪细小病毒(PPV)最早是从培养细胞中发现并分离得到的一种小DNA病毒。研究表明,PPV不仅是引起母猪繁殖障碍的主要病原体之一,而且能够引起多种猪病。随着对猪细小病毒研究的不断深入,目前已经在病毒病原学、结构与非结构蛋白、感染机制、诊断与疫苗防制等方面取得很大进展。本文主要针对分子诊断新技术与基因工程疫苗防制等方面进行了阐述。     

应用ELISA双抗体夹心法检测＼猪细小病毒抗原的研究

研究建立了从胎猪脏器中检测猪细小病毒（ＰＰＶ）抗原的ＥＬＩＳＡ双抗体夹心法。试验方法的最侍工作条件为，抗体浓度１：４００，酶标抗体浓度１：５０。５４份胎猪样品阳性检出率为５９．３％，不同脏器的阳性检 出率分别为，心３６．４％、肝脏７２．２％、肺脏６６．７％、肾脏６６．７％。     

猪细小病毒结构蛋白VP2及其疫苗的研究进展

猪细小病毒(porcine parvovirus,PPV)是引起母猪繁殖障碍性疾病的主要病原之一,该病毒在世界范围内广泛存在并呈地方性流行, 给生猪的繁殖、发展带来了巨大的经济损失,故防制猪细小病毒病非常重要。PPV VP2蛋白是病毒粒子的主要衣壳蛋白,在体外能自我装配成病毒样颗粒,并能刺激机体产生抗PPV中和抗体,且可作为抗原转运载体,所以研究VP2对PPV新型疫苗研制至关重要。文章综述了猪细小病毒结构蛋白VP2及其疫苗的研究进展。     

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction for Porcine circovirus-2 in swine feces in a Porcine circovirus disease-affected commercial herd and a nonaffected commercial herd

This study examined if pigs in a Porcine circovirus disease (PCVD)-affected herd (n = 100) had shed more Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) in their feces than pigs in a PCVD-nonaffected herd (n = 101), and if differences in shedding among production stages within and between the herds existed. The PCV-2 shedding was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The highest median PCV-2 shedding was found in the nursery of the PCVD-affected herd and in the grower of the PCVD-nonaffected herd. The PCV-2 shedding was significantly higher in earlier stages (newly weaned, nursery, and pregrower) in the PCVD-affected herd (Wilcoxon rank sum; P < 0.001) compared with the PCVD-nonaffected herd. Porcine circovirus-2 DNA was not detected in a significant proportion of lactating sows (parity ≥ 3) in the PCVD-nonaffected herd (Fisher’s exact test; P = 0.001). The results of this study suggest there may be an association between the presence of PCV-2 in the feces of lactating sows and increased PCV-2 shedding in younger pigs.     

Fetal Infection with Porcine Parvovirus in Herds with Reproductive Failure

During a 20 months period in 1978 and 1979 aborted, macerated and mummified fetuses as well as stillborn piglets from herds with reproductive failure were examined for evidence of infection with porcine parvovirus (PPV). A total of 602 cases were examined and evidence of infection with PPV was found in 269 (45 %). In 52 % of these antibody to PPV was found. Infective PPV as well as antibody to PPV were found in 41 %, whereas infective PPV alone was found in 7 %. When abortions were excluded from the results a high prevalence of infection with PPV (73–90 %) was found among fetuses of all sizes with the exception of fetuses dead late in gestation or at term.     

The effect on reproductive performance of porcine parvovirus infection in a susceptible pig herd

An acute episode of reproductive failure occurred following natural introduction of porcine parvovirus to a susceptible herd of 48 breeding sows. Serological data gave a close estimate of the time that infection spread through the herd, and enabled a correct forecast of the reproductive failure that followed. Severe fetal mummification was seen over a three-week period. Epidemiological data is presented strongly linking in utero parvovirus infection with the mummification that occurred, and the significance of this data is discussed in connection with the present knowledge of transplacental porcine parvovirus infection.     

Swine dysentery in a sow herd. II. Comparison of a direct fluorescent antibody test with selective culture in the laboratory diagnosis

During and after an outbreak of swine dysentery (Doyle) two diagnostic techniques were compared: a direct fluorescent antibody test and a selective culture method. The latter was more sensitive, provided the animals were not medicated and the samples were processed on the day of collection. The widespread use of chemoprophylaxis makes selective culture as a diagnostic aid under Dutch conditions highly impractical.     

应用间接免疫荧光技术快速检测猪细小病毒抗原

用免疫荧光直接法检测组织病料中的猪细小病毒（ＰＰＶ）抗原时,因病毒粒子小,检出率较低。为提高检出率,又适于检验部门的应用,将猪细小病毒高免血清与胎儿组织中ＰＰＶ抗原形成特异的反应,再加兔抗猪ＩｇＧ荧光抗体,扩大抗原抗体反应的范围来提高检出率,建立了间接免疫荧光诊断技术。通过特异性试验,阻断试验,证明此技术特异敏感、快速（５小时内即可报告检验结果）用该技术对黑龙江和辽宁省９个猪场送检的３２头（窝）病例进行检测,阳性率为２５％。     

Parvovirus infection in a Beagle colony

The clinical and pathological features of an outbreak of parvovirus infection are described. In young puppies these were vomiting, diarrhoea and myocarditis whereas in older animals they were weight loss and enteropathy. Other features seen were interstitial pneumonia, lymphoid depletion and, in one dog, renal tubular degeneration. The haematological picture was inconsistent, a reduced number of circulating neutrophils or lymphocytes occurring in some cases whereas in others neutrophilia or lymphocytosis was present.     

Clinical signs and diagnosis of a severe primary infection with BVDV subtype 1b in a dairy herd

As a result of a BVDV infection in a herd consisting of 95 adult cattle 17 cows aborted their calves within a period of 3.5 months, one third got severe diarrhoea, 3 cows died and an increased percentage of the cattle got lochiometra after calving or abortion. The disease was diagnosed by paired serological testing of cattle with diarrhoea or abortion and post mortem examination of several aborted calves. From one foetus BVDV virus was isolated and subsequently subtyped by sequencing. Of aborting cattle, the testing results were influenced by the interval between infection and abortion. These results indicate that a primary infection with BVDV subtype 1b can cause severe clinical symptoms in a dairy herd.